, 1887-07-29

clhO1loh. hIJ julie VIII ioiSife LIE III
a little while.
was too angry to be quiet any longer;
.obably l ought not to have listened
l walked round the intervening bushes
and confronted the two.
He took Celestine's hand In his, and
waited her answer breathlessly.
MIR. Clyde / said-and he dropped
her hand and faced me-"allow me to
return your ring. 1 agree with you
Marjorie will forget that you ever ex-
listed in less time than you can i'm
agine.'
He was too ~astonished to speak; and
the ring dropped at his feet. As 1 turned
to leave him, Celestine laughed softly.
What a little tragedy queen it is!''
said she.
went up to my mother room.
i have broken my engagement, 1
said, briefly
While l was telling her about it, my
cousin entered. Taking my hand, she
torcibly detained me as 1 tried to leave
the room
Let me go, lcried. ~passionately. 81
hate you.
But you won t, after a little, >, she
answered. Listen: 1 am going to be
married in a few weeks. l knew you
were out there in the woods, and know
ing Mr.. Clyde was going to try his old
game l purposely took him where you
would overhear his offer. Brother Tom
knows him of old. He has heard that /
have a little more money than you, hence
the scene under the trees. AS for love,
he does not care a straw for either of us.
h only woman he aver cared for died
years ago, a victim to his t~reachery. 1
am going away next week, and Walter
will surely come to you and ask for for
giveness. l came down here at your
mothers request on purpose to open your
eyes to the true character of the man you
loved. If you choose to take him back
you will have tho opportunity. AS for
myself, it does not matter. / have flirted
all my life, and never with so praise
worthy an object as now. Some time
| you will forgive me-"
l got away from her and went to my
room. l was beginning to learn some
thing of the ways of the world. That
night a delicatefy tinted and perfumed
note was brought to me. 1t read thus:
My Injured Darling: Only let me see
you, kneel at your feet and explain.
"WALTER."
Bah! it sickened me. 1 tore the note
into fragments, and wrote:
How dare you address me2 Don't
presume ever to write or speak to me
again. Henceforth we are strangers.
MARJORIE"
This note, with the presents that he
had made me, L put in a package and
sent to him by the chambermaid.
Then l went back to ann and urged
her to leave the place at once. She con-
sented. Our maid packed the trunks
and we departed by the late train. 1
said goodby to Celestine.
'Some time Imay thank you for this, p"
told her, mot now"
1t Is my 2lst birthday, and three years
and more since l last saw Walter Clyde.
/ have heard that he married a widow
several years older than himself, and
such a life as they leadi
Celestine is married, too, and I worship
her boy. She is a model wife and
mother. Such girls do sometimes make
the best OF wives.
She says she feels that the good she did
during that Irritation counterbalanced g
multitude Of sins.
Oh, well, 1 have forgiven her; but my
heart is bitter toward men.
Mother and l are living at home il
Bristol.
at is a bitter cold day." mother said
''you had better take a drive, Marjorie. ,
But l told her l was tired of driving
and would start on foot to do some shop
ping.
The wind blew a gale, the crossing,
were very slippery, and hurrying across
the street to escape being run over by 1
cab, l slipped and sprained my ankle
badly. Immediately a crowd gathered
round me, l could not walk, was nearly
f~ainting with pain, and became half fran
tic. A gentleman passing in a gig stopped
to see what the trouble was, recognized
me, and instantly lifted me into his traI
and brought me home.
My rescuer was a wealthy bachelor, 6
friend of my mother, a handsome, stately
gentleman, on the 'sunny side of 40
l never dreamt of him as a lover. Ht
was so much older than l. 1t was a long
tedious month before I could walk again
and Hugh Cameron was a frequent Wis
itor. He read to me, played chess with
me, and in many ways helped to make
the time pass pleasantly.
At last 1 got strong again, and able t.
RO Oul, Dul ho bIll NIolUtu az OuI nOubt
and was sometimes ny escort.
One day an officious lady friend in
formed me that it was generally under
o that we were engaged.
was annoyed on hearing this, having
never thought Of him in that way.
Next day Mr.. Cameron asked me to b.
his wife, and got an angry refusal.
"Why need you have said this ?"
asked, impatiently. II like you very
much, but not in that way. We wert
having such pleasant times; you NIGH
have known we could not be anything
more than friends"
"How should l know ?" he asked
quietly.
Because 1 don't love you-nevel
shall!' | replied.
well, you will some time, when you
are my wife.
His audacity nearly took away my
breath.
But l tell you l will not be you
wife, l repeated.
You may change your mind, littl,
one, " he replied, coolly, and then left me
How angry l was! AS usual, l wen
to mother and recounted the whole story
Mother said very little; merely remarked